Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday chaired a meeting of the UT-Level Census Coordination Committee (UTLCCC) to review the pace and progress of the ongoing House Listing Operations (HLOs) being conducted as part of the first phase of Census-2027 across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Planning Development and Monitoring Department (PD&MD), Secretary Rural Development Department, Director Census Operations J&K and Ladakh, and other concerned officers from the Planning and Census Departments. Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners participated through video conferencing.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary emphasized the importance of timely and accurate completion of the census exercise, describing it as a critical national activity that forms the foundation for evidence-based planning and policy formulation.
He directed all Deputy Commissioners, District Census Officers and field functionaries to ensure full cooperation and coordination for achieving complete coverage of households and population groups across the Union Territory.
Dulloo also instructed the Planning Department to closely monitor the progress of House Listing Operations on a daily basis and ensure their meticulous completion by June 30, 2026. He stressed adherence to prescribed timelines and directed that all necessary support be extended to field functionaries engaged in the exercise.
The Chief Secretary further advised that personnel deployed for Census operations should continue in their present assignments until the successful completion of the exercise.
Director Census Operations, J&K and Ladakh, Amit Sharma, briefed the meeting on the progress achieved so far and informed that extensive preparatory arrangements have been completed for the successful conduct of the House Listing and Housing Census exercise across Jammu and Kashmir.
Sharma presented a detailed review of field data collection activities, self-enumeration progress, formation of House Listing Blocks (HLBs), and arrangements for enumeration of migratory populations.
He informed the meeting that a total of 23,887 House Listing Blocks have been created across 295 Census Charges in Jammu and Kashmir. Field operations have already commenced in 14,279 HLBs, with the enumeration process progressing steadily across districts.
The Chief Secretary also took note of Jammu and Kashmir’s performance in the self-enumeration component of the Census. The Union Territory has secured the first position among all Union Territories and the eighth position among States and Union Territories where self-enumeration has been completed so far.
It was revealed that, as of June 1, 2026, a total of 6.67 lakh households had successfully completed self-enumeration through the digital platform.
The meeting also reviewed special arrangements for enumeration of migratory and transhumant populations. Officials informed that a comprehensive mechanism has been devised in coordination with the Forest, Tribal Affairs, Sheep Husbandry, Animal Husbandry, School Education Departments and district administrations to ensure complete coverage of migratory communities during the HLO phase.
Detailed information regarding migratory routes, tribal hostels, mobile schools, sheep husbandry camps and other congregation points has been shared with all concerned districts to facilitate the exercise.
The meeting was further informed that district administrations have been advised to adopt flexible strategies, including fixing special enumeration dates and creating additional House Listing Blocks wherever necessary, to ensure that no eligible household or population group is left out.
Dulloo directed officers to maintain close supervision over the remaining preparatory activities and ensure strict adherence to Census guidelines and timelines. He underscored the legal provisions available under the Census Act, 1948, and urged all departments and local authorities to extend full assistance to Census personnel in the discharge of their duties.
He reiterated that the success of the Census exercise depends on coordinated efforts by all departments, field functionaries and district administrations, urging all stakeholders to discharge their responsibilities with diligence, efficiency and accountability to ensure the timely and accurate completion of the exercise.
